Air-rifle.



E. E. REDFIELD,

I AIR RIFLEJ APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1912.

Patented Malaga me.

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E. E. RBDFIELD.

AIR RIFLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1912.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

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In mentor:

E. E. REDIIBLD. I

AIR RIFLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1912.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

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I chamber.

EDN/VARIO REDEIELD,

or GLENDALE, Oaneon, Assrenoa'or cnn-Hur To JOHN n.

aannam, or DENVER, COLORADO.

Aranrrtnf Specication of Letters Patent.

:Patented Mai". 25, QS.

Application filed July 1.7, 1912. Serial No'. 709,868.

To all 'whom i may concern:

Be `it known that l, EDWARD E. Riemann), a citizen lofthe United States, residing in Glendale, Douglas county, State of Oregon, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Rides, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof.

This invention relates to air rifles vin which energy is stored in a spring by the movement of a lever and acts, when released by the trigger, upon ,a plunger in an air chamber, the bullet being driven from the barre-l by the air thus compressed in the air In air rifles of this character the spring in which energy is stored is usually located in the receiver together with the air chamber, so that'even with a receiver of abnormal lengtlnas compared with the receiver of an ordinary riflethe spring is' necessarily short.. Furthermore, the spring is usually compressed by movement of theA lever in one direction only, so that' considerable strength is required to compress the spring. Again, there is usually opportunity for leakage of air behind the bullet` so that 'there is corresponding waste of power.

It is, the object of this invention to overcome all of these difficulties and to improve the construction of air rifles in various par-` ticulars, all as will be pointed out' herein after.

In accordance with this invention the spring in which energy isstored is located in the stock 'of the rifle and is compressed in part by thev downward and ,forward movement. of the lever and in part by -the upward and rearward movement thereof, so that only moderate strength is required to compress it. The air chamber occupies substantially the full length of the receiver and therefore can be larger than usual without `requiring the receiver to be lengthened un- `duly. The'air chamber itself is removable longitudinally and carries at its forward end a tube which is withdrawn so as to permit the bullet to be placed in position in rear of the bore of the barrel and is then moved forward to push the bullet into the riliing of the barrel and itself to enter the bore of the barrel so as to prevent the leakage of air behind the y bullet. Furthermore, the air `chewb.eretici the tube-receive their finalv tonA ward movement'with the beginning of the movement of the piston in the chamber so that the inertia and sticking of the bullet in` the barrel are overcome mechanically by Adirect contactwith moving part-s while practically the whole air pressure can be vused for driving the bullet through the barrel. This 'and other features of 'improvement will 'be more fully explained with reference to the accompanying drawings in which the invention is illu`strated and in Which- Y Figure Il is aview in side elevation, with the stock in longitudinal section, of 'an air rifle constructed in accordancewith the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view in longitu` dinal lsection through the receiver and a portion of the stock and barrel, on a larger scale than that of Fig. 1, the parts being shown l in the positions which they occupy after thev lview showing the parts inthe positions which they occupy when the lever Ahas been moved back to its eXtreme upward and rearward position and before the trigger is pulled. Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view of the lever removed from the frame or receiver.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of themovable air chamber removed .from the receiver. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the forward thrust rod or link. Fig. 8 is a detail view in longitudinal sect-ion through the barrel,

the magazine tube and the forward portion,I

of the frame or receiver. Fig. 9 is a detail view in section, through the magazine tube, on the plane indicatedby the line 9-`9 of F ig. 8, but on a larger scale. f

The rifle shown inthe drawings comprises a barrel a, a frame or receiver b anda stock c. The reduced rear end -of thel barrel is threaded, as at a', withinterrupted threads and engages a correspondingly threaded portion of the receiver b so that the barrel can be engaged-with-thereceiver by a quarter turn. The barrel is locked inllposltion by means to be described hereinafter. Below the barrel is secured a magazine tube al which receives the plunger d and spring ioo d2 by which the bullets, inserted through an opening (Z3 when the plunger is drawn forvat ZS in Fig. 9, so that when the plunger (Zj is drawn forward by the application of the fingers to the sleeve (,Z, it can be held in its forward position by a partial rotation of the sleeve so as to cause the stud Z5 to enter the transverse portion Zs of the slot. T he sleeve and stud can be moved rearwardly independently of the plunger, so that the opening (Z3 can be closed by the sleeve after the magazine-,has been filled with bullets, the plungerbeing then held in its forwardposition, against the pressure of the spring cl2, by Contact of its rear end with'the column 'of bullets in the rear portion of the tube.

The frame or receiver b is chambered internally to receive with a close sliding fit the air chamber e. The air chamber' is open at its rear end and 1s closed at its forward end by a cap Orhead e which is bored ce1r' trally and also carries a tube e2 through which the bore is continued, the forward extremity of the tube'being adapted to enter the bore ofthe barrel a. The air chain! ber is also provided, near its rear,v end, with anielongated slot e3 for engagement with the forward thrust rod as hereinafter described. In the air chamber e is fitted a piston f in whichvis pivoted a link g which bears at' its rear end against a plunger 7L. The latter is mounted to move in a tube 7L which extends rearwardly in the stock c and to compress therein the spring liz-,in which energy is stored 'and by 'which it' is returned, through the link g, to drive the piston f forward and to compress the air in the air chamber e. as the spring is located in the stock, wholly in rear of the compressing mechanism to be described, it can have a much greater length than is usual 1n 'air guns of this descriptionv and can haveA correspondingly strength and driving power.

The trigger guard and leverl L' 1s plvoted greaterI in the underside of the frame or receiver b,

as at 7c and carries, forward of the pivot, a thrust rod Z which has a head Z adapted to engage the elongated slot. e3 in the underside of the rear end'of the air chamber e. A

spring plunger' Z2, located in the lever 7th presses the thrust rod Z normally upward, `when the parts are in the position shown in F ig. 2, so that it may engageV the movable air chamber. downward movement of the ylever 7c, as

shown in Fig 3, the forward thrust rod Z engages a shoulder g 'of the link g and moves that link, together with the piston f,

It will be observed thatl In the first-Vor forward and rearwardly against the pressure of the Z engagesv the rear end of the slot e3 and moves the air chamber itself rearwardly, thus withdrawing the tube e2 from the bore of the barrel, as shown in Fig. 3. In the lever' 7c, in rear of the. pivot c, is pivoted the rear thrust rod m which, in the position of theparts shown in Fig. 2, is pressed upwardly by a spring plunger m', and in the position of the parts shown in- Fig. 3 is heldin position by engagement of the end of the plunger with a rounded notch m2 in the thrust rod. Then the lever 7c is in its extreme downward and forward position, as shown in Fig. 3, the rear end ofthe thrust rod m engages a. shoulder g2 on the underside of the link g, and when the lever is moved back to its upper and rearward position the link y' is moved rearwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3, in which it was placed by the for. vward thrust rod Z, to its extreme rearward 4position as shown in Fig. 4, thus further compressing the spring and withdrawing the piston f to the rear end of the air chamber e. .'The shoulder (/2 is beveled 'or cham- I)fered otl asat g3 and the rear Aend of the thrust rod m is also beveled or chamfered ofi" as at m3, so that when the pressure of the lever, in its lrearward movement, is relieved, the tendency of the forward pressure of the link g under the inuence of the spring /l2 is to throw the thrust rod m downward out of engagement with the link g. This tendency, however, is resisted by the trigger non the toe 71, of which rests the toe m4, on the underside of the thrust rod m. The trigger, pivoted at n2, isv pressed downward at its rear end by a spring n against an ad- Vhen the trigger is pressed by the nger the toe .n moves forward under the toe m4 of the Athrust rod m and permits the thrust rod to be pushed down by the forward pressure of the-link g so that` the link and piston may vthen be driven forward by the spring 7b2. A safety o, having aneccentric 0, is pivoted in the frame forward of the trigger so as to hold -the trigger in its locked position, as shown in Fig. 4, until the safety is turned so as to release thetrigger.

In the lower part of the frame, at 7J', is pivoted the -lifter 79, moving in the slot in thelunderside of theframe forward of the lever 7c. A `cam 7a2 on the forward end of the lever cooperates :vit-h a similarly shaped recess p2 in the underside. of thel lifter p, so that when the lever la is thrown down and forward, as in Fig. 3, the lifter is thrown down into the position shown b v full lines in Fig. 8, and when the lever is moved to its upper and rearward position the lifter is' again thrown up into the position shown in Figs. l and 4 and is there llt block 'is in its lifted-position, is in line with the bore ofthe barrel and permits the tube e2 on the forward end ofthe/movable air 'chamber to pass through it,as'shown in..

Figs. 2 and 4. When the'lifterisingthe-po- 1 vsition. indicatedby full 'linesingFig g 3 -the Y aperture 7 is then in line with the magazineV tube (Z so that the rearmost'bulletinthe'l magazine tubemay then be pushed into the.

aperture, as shown in Fig. 3, 1n readiness to be lifted, vwhen the lever 7c ismo'ved rearwardly and the lifter p is swung upwardly, into line with the bore of the barrel.

` It will be observed that when the lifter b lao and block r are in the position shown by `full lines in Fig. 3 the upper 'end of the.

block does not quite yclear the aperture through the rearward eiitension ofthe barrel, so that the bloc/k, in this position, prevents the barrel 'from being turned and rerleased from the' frame. In order to permit the barrel' to bereleased from the frame the mallyprevented from being dropped further by a spring pressed latch vs which is v mounted in the forward endl of the lifter p and has a lip s arranged to slide in a groove in the rear face of the block t which re` ceives the rear end of thebarrel a and the yrear end of the-grip piece a4. A lip' s`normally engages .the lip t2 at thebottom of the groove t when the partsy are in the position shown vin vF ig. 3, and prevents-the lifter from dropping further, but lwhen the latch s is pressed rearwardly its lip s clearsthe lip t2 and permits the lifter and block to drop further .so as to permit v t-he barrel to be rturned and disengaged from the frame or receiver.- A

in details of construction and arrangement may be madeV without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is not limited to the precise construction shown and described herein. I f

I claim as my-invention l. In a gun, the combination withthe receiver and the barrelrhaving an interrupted screw thread engagement, a lifter mounted on the receiver, and a block carried by the .lifter and adapted to engage the barrel tov prevent rotationthereof relative to the re# ceiver. h s 2. In a gun, the combination with the receiver and the barrel having an interrupted' screw thread engagement, a lifter mounted on the receiver, a block carried by the lifter, and a latch carried by i the receiver and y v adapted normally tolpermitnormal movethrough it an aperture r which, .when thek blockmustbe'dropped further:` It is nor? AIt will be understood that various changes..

ment of the lifter, the v'latch being movable to permit further movement of the receiver .f to disengage the block from thenbarrel.

3. In -anair gun, t-he combination Vof a Nbarrel, `a receiver, anA airv chambenmovable 7;).

in the receiver and having a lforward extension to enter the barrel,- means'to move the air. chamber forward nearly :to its'extreme forward position to push the bullet into the f Y K 'ritling of ,the barrel before .the trigger is 75 pulled, and independent means to complete themovement of the air chamberand start the-bullet from its position offrest after the trigger is pulled.

4f. In an air gun, the combination ofla ggbarrel, a receiver, an air chamber movable in thefreceiver and having a forward extension -t-o enter the barrel, means `to move the air v'chamber Jforward nearly to its'extreme for- 'ward position to push the bullet. into the 85 riflingof the barrel before the trigger is pulled, -a pistonv inV said air chamber, and Ameans todrive the piston forward, whereby -the movement of the'air chamber is 1.completed and the bullet is started from its posi 90 tionvof rest after the trigger is pulled. v

5. In an air gun, the combinationof a barrel,a receiver, an air chamber movable in the receiver and having a forward extension to enter the barrel, a lifter to place the bullet in ,fronty of said extension, andan operating lever and connections' wherebygthe lifter is .actuated and the air chamber is moved to push'the bulletinto the bore of the barrel. l 6.v In' an air gun, the combination of a re 100 jceiver having therein an airchamber,` a pis,

ton, 'a springl plunger in operative relation with .the piston, an operating lever, means.- whereby the spring'of the plunger is partly compressed during s' the irst or forward 10 movement of the lever, and means whereby ,the spring is further compressed by the sec-` ond or rearward movement of the lever.

'7. In anair gun, the combination of a receiver having an air chamber, a piston movvable therein, a Aspring plunger, 'an operating lever pivoted in. the-receiver, a thrust rod connected to the lever forwardV of its pivot, aA second thrust rod connected -to the lever in rear, of its pivot, and operating connections whereby'ithe forward thrustrod act's to com- .press the 'spring plunger during the first or forward'movement of the lever. and the rear thrust rodacts tocompress the spring further during the second or rearward move- 12u ment of the lever.i y

8. In an air gun, the combination of a receiverhaviug an air chamber, a piston movable therein, a spring plunger in rear of the 'air chamber, a link connected to the piston 125 and bearing'against the spring plunger, said link having two shoulders, an operating 1ever,l pivoted in the receiver, a thrust rod pivoted on the lever infront of its pivot and coperatingwth oneof the shoulders ofthe link and a second thrust rod pivoted on the lever in rear of its pivot and coperating with the other of said shoulders.

9. In an air gun, the combination of a re- 5 ceiver having an air chamber, a piston' in the' air chamber, a spring plunger in rear of the air chamber, a link between the piston and the air chamber and having a beveled shoulder, van operating lever a thrust rod pivoted 10. on the operating lever'avnd having a, beveled This specification signed and witnessed this 10th day of July D. 1912.

EDWARD E'REDFIELD.

Signed inthe presence of-` CLARA PAULINE MOHR, FRED MOHR. 

